Write a short, one paragraph synopsis for each of your four favourite product designs. (4 paragraphs)
Bone Furniture
Joris Laarman designed a line of furniture that mimics the structure of bones. Similar to the structure of the bones which comes in a variety of shapes in which the chair itself is also supported. One of the main characteristics on the bone is lightweight at the same time strong and hard. This characteristics copies how bone grows and strengthens overtime.
Self Cleaning Paint
A german company was inspired to make a self cleaning paints because of the hydrophobic structure of the lotus leaves. The self-cleaning paints mimic the way water rolls off a lotus leaf, solar cells that mimic photosynthesis, and fabrics that are colored by mimicking the way a butterfly's wing refracts light. As a result the paint repels water because of the imbued similar surface that the lotus has.
High Speed Train
Travelling at over 200 miles per hour, Japan’s Shinkansen bullet train is the fastest in the world. The train’s engineers looked to nature for inspiration. They found a similar situation in the kingfisher, which dives from air into water with little splashing. They redesigned the front end of the train using the beak of the kingfisher as a model and were able to create a much quieter train. The redesign also helped the train go even faster and use less energy.
Sonar enabled cane
Bats maneuver easily by bouncing high-pitched sounds off nearby objects in a process called "echolocation." This is what inspired New Zealand researchers to develop a device that help blind people to navigate easily so-called "Batcane," . Batcane emits sonar waves inaudible to the human ear to help users detect obstacles ahead, around, or even above them. Any nearby object triggers a vibration in one of four pads in the cane's plastic handle. As the object gets nearer, the vibration speeds up.
Write three paragraphs defining how, according to Janine Benyus, "the simple, elegant mechanics developed by nature often make sense in a human context, too". (3 paragraphs)
Janine Benyus' concept of biomimicry has galvanized scientists, architects, designers and engineers into exploring new ways in which nature's successes can inspire humanity. As a championof biomimicry, Benyus has become one of the most important voices in a new wave of designers and engineers inspired by nature. She explores what happens if we think of nature by function and looks at what organisms can teach us about design.
Biomimicry means "imitation of life." Janine M. Benyus calls biomimicry "doing it nature's way." She recommends looking to nature as model for inspiration, for design to solve human problems. As mentor focusing us on what we can learn from nature, rather than just extracting from it. As measure Of what works, what's appropriate, and what lasts. Changing the way we conduct business through Biomimicry says Benyus "has the potential to change the way we grow food, make materials, harness energy, heal ourselves, store information, and conduct business."
"Let's learn the basics from nature and build on that," she advises. "Waste is a resource, use energy wisely, use materials sparingly, take only what we need, diversify and cooperate, do what you know how to do. Naturally smarter design, Biomimicry considers three levels of design: Natural form (such as a fish-shaped car) ,Natural processes (such as green chemistry in creating the car) ,Ecosystems (such as industrial ecology-how the car impacts the world around it). There are three approaches designers take to biomimicry: seeing nature as a model, mentor, and measure.
Bone Furniture
Joris Laarman designed a line of furniture that mimics the structure of bones. Similar to the structure of the bones which comes in a variety of shapes in which the chair itself is also supported. One of the main characteristics on the bone is lightweight at the same time strong and hard. This characteristics copies how bone grows and strengthens overtime.
Self Cleaning Paint
A german company was inspired to make a self cleaning paints because of the hydrophobic structure of the lotus leaves. The self-cleaning paints mimic the way water rolls off a lotus leaf, solar cells that mimic photosynthesis, and fabrics that are colored by mimicking the way a butterfly's wing refracts light. As a result the paint repels water because of the imbued similar surface that the lotus has.
High Speed Train
Travelling at over 200 miles per hour, Japan’s Shinkansen bullet train is the fastest in the world. The train’s engineers looked to nature for inspiration. They found a similar situation in the kingfisher, which dives from air into water with little splashing. They redesigned the front end of the train using the beak of the kingfisher as a model and were able to create a much quieter train. The redesign also helped the train go even faster and use less energy.
Sonar enabled cane
Bats maneuver easily by bouncing high-pitched sounds off nearby objects in a process called "echolocation." This is what inspired New Zealand researchers to develop a device that help blind people to navigate easily so-called "Batcane," . Batcane emits sonar waves inaudible to the human ear to help users detect obstacles ahead, around, or even above them. Any nearby object triggers a vibration in one of four pads in the cane's plastic handle. As the object gets nearer, the vibration speeds up.
Write three paragraphs defining how, according to Janine Benyus, "the simple, elegant mechanics developed by nature often make sense in a human context, too". (3 paragraphs)
Janine Benyus' concept of biomimicry has galvanized scientists, architects, designers and engineers into exploring new ways in which nature's successes can inspire humanity. As a champion of biomimicry, Benyus has become one of the most important voices in a new wave of designers and engineers inspired by nature. She explores what happens if we think of nature by function and looks at what organisms can teach us about design.
Biomimicry means "imitation of life." Janine M. Benyus calls biomimicry "doing it nature's way." She recommends looking to nature as model for inspiration, for design to solve human problems. As mentor focusing us on what we can learn from nature, rather than just extracting from it. As measure Of what works, what's appropriate, and what lasts. Changing the way we conduct business through Biomimicry says Benyus "has the potential to change the way we grow food, make materials, harness energy, heal ourselves, store information, and conduct business."
"Let's learn the basics from nature and build on that," she advises. "Waste is a resource, use energy wisely, use materials sparingly, take only what we need, diversify and cooperate, do what you know how to do. Naturally smarter design, Biomimicry considers three levels of design: Natural form (such as a fish-shaped car) ,Natural processes (such as green chemistry in creating the car) ,Ecosystems (such as industrial ecology-how the car impacts the world around it). There are three approaches designers take to biomimicry: seeing nature as a model, mentor, and measure.